One sunny day, Europe was playing with her girlfriends in the fields when Zeus, the king of the gods, passed by and noticed her. Amazed by her beauty, he took the shape of a white bull with golden horns to abduct the maid.Europe noticed the bull among the herd and playfully mounted him; together, they traveled until Crete. Only when they arrived in Gortyn in Crete, Zeus revealed his true identity and Europe laid with Zeus under a platan which became evergreen. The couple created three sons: Minos, the king of Crete, Sarpidon and Radamanthus.